PLAY NICE

Introducing Ashley Rose of Sugar & Cloth! She is the queen-of-craft, baking and all things pretty! Trust me… It will take a maximum of 30 seconds on her blog to get hooked. I really want to try out this DIY shelf for my new home office! It’s hard to decide though – there are so many good ones!

…and now, a little bit from her -
“I began Sugar & Cloth, a little place filled with everything for DIY inspired living, as a creative outlet just under three years ago after having moved across the country away friends and family. It blossomed into much more than I ever imagined, and now I’ve just gotten my first studio and workshop space here in Houston, TX under the same name. It’s been really exciting to find my own voice over the last few years through the blog, and having such humble beginnings has made all of the little victories along the way even more wonderful, especially now that I’m getting to focus on being a bigger part of the local creative community with workshops and collaborations.”

…and now, her favorite piece and why –
“I dropped hints for my Mom to gift me this Zara leather carry-all for a solid year (at the ripe age of 24, don’t judge), and it’s been my favorite ever since. At this point, I can’t really tell if it’s that I still love it that much or if I just put in too many hard earned discrete sentences about it that I can’t let it go.”

Introducing Whitney Lundeen – A mother, an interior designer and a self taught fashion designer living in Palo Alto, CA. Her company is called Sonnet James and she designs play dresses for moms!

Guess what – She launched the dress that you see above in her photo a few hours ago – and it sold out in 28 minutes? I think she is on to something… She believes passionately in being a playful and involved mother! She also believes that with the right dress you can look great without letting your clothes get in the way of the next big adventure! Her motto: Play more!

…and now, a little bit from her -
I’m currently finished up my spring 2015 collection of dresses and am planning the photo shoot and campaign. I absolutely love what’s going on right now! I can’t decide what I like more, designing the collection, creating the photo shoot story, or the branding side. I love it all. I’m excited about shooting the new look-book in October in Central Park. It’s going to be more like a runway show and then I’m going to let the customers vote online for which dresses they want me to produce since I can’t decide! We will also be doing more dance videos in the dresses which I love being a part of. I’m really excited about all of it!

…and now her favorite piece and why –
“My dress of course! It’s classic, easy to wear, comfortable and kid proof. And it’s fantastic to travel in. I can just roll it up and throw it in my suitcase. I’m all about practicality.”

Meet Ngaio Parr – a freelance designer, illustrator, and art director based in Sydney, Australia. I was first introduced to Ngaio through her recent wedding feature on 100 Layer Cake and then quickly fell in love with her personality and work. I was really drawn to the colors and hand-lettering on the invitation suite she designed for her big day. So vibrant! …and her hair?? So striking!

…and now, a little bit from her -
“I love my job and the opportunities it provides to collaborate with other designers and creatives whom I admire, travel the world, and do something different each day! Currently, I’m working on a few more exciting collaborations with Sibella Court, some new Record Reverie illustrations for an upcoming exhibition in New York, and adding all the time to my fresh new blog. I’m looking forward to a trip to New York, LA, and Nashville in Sept/October (holler if you’d like to meet!) and making it back to Australia for a summer filled with daily beach swims, balmy nights, and endless mangoes. In the future, I’d love to continue to meet and collaborate with great people, travel everywhere, launch an online store, try my hand at music supervision, and create some more album artwork and art installations. When I’m not working, my husband and I spend time obsessing over our boston terrier Iggy Pup, heading to gigs, cooking for our friends, and dreaming up new adventures.”

…and now her favorite piece and why –
“So hard to choose! Before I discovered Kathleen Whittaker’s staple earrings I hadn’t worn earrings for 10 years, and now I never take them off; but I’m also completely smitten with my first-ever leather jacket that I recently purchased. I think I also need to preface that these photographs were taken just after a seven hour flight and before another fifteen hour flight, so I was definitely dressed for comfort over style!”

Introducing the founders of The Weaver House, a photography & design studio based in Portland, Oregon. I first discovered Hannah & Kelty through their videos and then quickly realized that they do it all – and really well I might add. To me, they are the very definition of a “creative” – they have proven that they can apply their skills to so many different mediums and never fail to produce quality results. Keep up the good work ladies, I can’t wait to see what you do next.

…and now, a little bit from them -
“We gravitate towards natural light, the great outdoors and organic documentation, and love nothing more than a unique branding project for an artist or small business. Sometimes we’ll eek in some time for long-term, personal projects like our tattoo portraits, or farm specimen prints – available soon in our online shop! We’re both beginning families, and are excited to see how The Weaver House will evolve with two baby girls in tow… we feel lucky to do what we do together. Our office is a small red barn on Kelty’s husband’s organic veggie farm, Working Theory Farm. The majority of our work and every-day wear consist of utilitarian jeans, button ups and clogs or boots. We’re tomboys at heart, but like to incorporate a delicate knit piece or a little bling and color here and there.”

…and now their favorite piece and why –Hannah: “I stumbled upon some yardage of Missoni fabric a few years back and made myself a simple tank top. It blends a rainbow of my favorite shades of red, coral and orange and reminds me that I should spend more time behind the sewing machine.” Kelty: “I wear my Zara button-up at least once a week. I love it’s length and coolness, and now that I’m 7 months pregnant, it’s one of the only shirts that still fits me.”

Introducing Tamar & Greg of CAMP Collection – They are lucky number five for the Studio Tour series! CAMP is a women’s ready-to-wear clothing line influenced by fond memories of camp, comfort, summer & relaxation. I first met Tamar, the creative brains behind the operation, at a sample sale in Oakland. I think I tried on every single piece out of pure excitement ( I went with the Rust Golan Shirt that is now my favorite item in my closet! ) Tamar was warm, full of energy, and passionate about her work. Between her jewelry brand, The 2 Bandits, and the launch of Camp Collection – I was hooked!

What they’re currently up to now –
“We are about to shoot our 3rd season in the Haight Ashbury Area of San Francisco. The shoot-collection is titled “Shakedown St” which is an ode to festivals in the 60s. We are photographing the beautiful Langley Fox, could’t be more excited!”

…and now her favorite piece and why –
“The MessKit Jumpsuit – because I love a good jumpsuit! They are the perfect item to pack for my weekend getaways, it’s just one thing!”

We were inspired to change up their video a tiny bit by moving the interview outside! We chatted with Tamar and decided that we should shoot at one of CAMPs favorite spots in California, The Russian River. It ended up being such a long, light-filled, playful day. Wade Koch, the bad-ass behind this video, did an incredible job at capturing all the best moments. Having been there, I will admit, this video is pretty close to the real deal – it’s that California light, I swear. We were also lucky enough to have Jen Emerling tag along to shoot stills. She drove all the way up from Los Angeles just to be with us! ( you can see lots more photos that I didn’t include in her post ) A huge high-five to both of you!

Now on to our hot little minions you see here – rocking the CAMP looks insanely well! I mean seriously, they all threw on their favorite pieces and boom, casually flawless. A day of water-balloon fights, s’mores, and canoes – such a hard life :) Thank you Bri Scarff, Julia Kostreva, and Jennie Stone for setting the tone!

Oh fun fact to end on – While we were all getting ready in the morning and partaking in some get-to-know-each-other chit chat, Tamar and I found out that not only are we both from Dallas, Texas but we went to the same FRIGGIN’ high school. Talk about small world moment. Turns out we surprisingly have NO mutual friends but STILL :)

…Click through to read the entire post.
( There is so much more to see!! )

Introducing Marte Marie Forsberg – A Norwegian photographer and home-cook, living in a 200 year old thatched cottage in Dorset England. I was given the opportunity to work with her images through my designer position at Cuyana – Marte shot for their Winter 2013 Scotland Collection!

…and now, a little bit from her -
“I work as a food and lifestyle photographer with a little cottage as home-base. My new side project, Food For Thought, is a website centered around food from the farm to fork end of things. It’s beginning to take shape and is on a really exciting journey! I love telling visual stories of people in the food industry – this site allows me to pursue the stories that i’m passionate about and share them. I hope for it to become a home base for foodies all over the world, but that’s a bit down the road yet.”

…and now her favorite piece and why –
“This combination is one of my favorite everyday outfits. With just a change from Hunters to ballerina flats, and changing the basket for a little tote, it goes from countryside to french chic in a matter of minutes. I like clothes that feel comfortable and with a bit shape. Color-wise, navy and black seem to be repeated throughout my closet. I guess I have a classical dress style with not too much color going on, always paired down, quite minimalistic with little jewelry, but when I do I adore adding one big ring or necklace to the outfit as a statement pieces. Layering is also something that makes my wardrobe feel bigger than it is. I don’t spend too much on clothes, but I like splurging every now and then one one quality item that spruces up my closet and makes everything in it feel fresh and new again.”

Introducing Kelly Jones, the owner of Little Paper Planes. I first met Kelly when I attended her shop opening exactly a year ago this month! I drooled over every item for sale and even won an amazing art-book from her raffle. She then proceeded to be incredibly kind and offered to host my San Francisco book launch. Needless to say, I am now a huge fan of her!

…and now, a little bit from her -
“I am an artist, curator and shop owner living in San Francisco. Little Paper Planes started online in 2004 and now has a store front on Valencia Street in the Mission District of San Francisco. Little Paper Planes is not only a shop, but we produce publications, editions with artists and run a residency program. It is extremely important for me to extend a platform for artists and designers to show their work and celebrate art within the everyday. For LPP, we are starting a new video series highlighting artists and their research as well as a book documenting all the artist interviews we have conducted since 2008. For me, currently I am working on a variety of projects, including launching my clothing line, UNIFORMA ( comes out in Fall 2014 ) as well as my first line of ceramics. In between I try to keep up with my own art practice within painting and sculpture.”

…and now her favorite piece and why -
“My favorite piece right now is the dress. I bought it at a vintage shop in Temescal Alley in Oakland, right after my shop opened last May. It not only is so comfortable, but can also dress up and down and of course has an amazing textile. However beyond that, it was the gift I bought myself for opening a shop, so it is the marker for that life accomplishment.”

Introducing Wing Ta – the Minneapolis based photographer behind Canary Grey. I first came across her photos through Mae Mae Paperie. There was so much light and color, I couldn’t help but fall in love with her style! Then, through the world of blogging, I saw that she was shooting for fun creatives like: Wit & Delight, Hackwith Design House, Wide Eyed Legless, and Anne Sage. All of Wing’s images have such a bright and etherial touch. Don’t you think? Enjoy :)

…and now, a little bit from her -
“I’m a photographer and design lover from Minneapolis. My business, Canary Grey, specializes in photography for the lifestyle, editorial and wedding industries. I love that I primarily work with other creatives and get to collaborate with them on their brands. Besides shooting, I’m looking forward to having an online print shop and and teaching workshops in the future. I recently released a one of a kind print with Hackwith Design from a shoot we art directed together. It was such a rewarding (and super fun!) process working with Lisa Hackwith on this project. I’m truly touched that these prints get to live in people’s homes, studios and other special places.”

…and now her favorite piece and why -
“My go to piece at the moment is this gorgeous Gamma Folk piece from Parc Boutique. I love that it’s hand crafted and so unique! It pairs perfectly with everything.”

…and now a little bit from her:
“5 years ago, I moved from France to San Francisco. I was dreaming about it since I was 10 ( the first time I came to California for a road trip with my family ). The colorful architecture in San Francisco inspired me to transform flat sheets of paper into three-dimensional objects. Sometimes I bring them to life through stop motion animation. I work for brands and magazines such as Gap, Target, Milk Magazine, Cosmopolitan Magazine, Anthology Magazine, and The SF Bay Guardian… I am currently working on paper bunnies for my shop, collaborating with a brand for paper products, personal illustrations always…and spending time with my 9 months old Lula – my main inspiration now!”

…and now her favorite piece and why:
“It’s hard to choose between my jacket and my Zuni cuff. I got it at Reliquary, one of my favorite shops in San Francisco! I had my eye on it for a long time. I have an obsession with vintage turquoise jewelry. I dream to go on a road trip to Arizona and New Mexico. And every time I wear this jacket, I have like 10 people stopping me in the street to tell me awesome it is, boys and girls! I love how fun and colorful the print is! Do you see the little fox hiding?”

…a little bit about her:
I’m the founder and creative director of Bramble Workshop, where we create custom art installations, event décor, and retail displays. I love working with paper, textiles and wood. Inspired by the natural world, I think a lot about color, pattern, line, and texture, creating pieces that are intensely detailed and obsessively handcrafted!

I have an MFA in sculpture and started Bramble Workshop in 2012, after working as a display artist at Anthropologie. My favorite part of my job is the opportunity to collaborate with other artists and designers whom I admire. That, and the sheer variety of projects that come my way. I recently made five chandeliers entirely from shells for Ella Moss, and now I’m beginning a window display inspired by sea horses for Hermès. Some of my future hopes for Bramble Workshop include creating larger scale, permanent installations and designing a line of textiles.

It was a rare rainy day in LA when we took these photos in Griffith Park, and actually very appropriate because I just moved to Portland! I’m so excited to begin exploring the lush, verdant world of the Pacific Northwest ( and I get to travel to sunny LA often for work! )

…and now her favorite piece and why:
“I wear these boots constantly because they’re perfectly suited to the Bramble Workshop lifestyle. There’s a lot of manual labor involved in my job- it’s not all just sitting around making paper flowers! Plus, I like to spend as much time as possible wandering in the woods and getting inspired- that’s an essential part of Bramble Workshop too! And I think the dress is representative of my aesthetic because I often make work that is delicate and feminine.”

Introducing Erin Dollar – the owner, maker, and designer behind Cotton & Flax. Since 2010, she has been creating limited edition textile goods, as well as fine art prints on paper, from her home studio in Los Angeles, California! Check it out.

…a little bit from her:
“The Spring Collection for Cotton & Flax debuted a few weeks ago, which included a few new products (cocktail napkins! wool felt trivets! new pillow sizes!), as well as fresh new colors and patterns across the whole collection. I’m a big proponent of slow design – I don’t rush the design process, and each product I create for Cotton & Flax is developed over weeks and sometimes months of testing and experimenting to find just the right fabric and pattern design for each piece. This means I only release new pieces a few times a year, but the new products are always my absolute favorites. I’m excited to finally share these new pieces, and to start designing for more new products to debut in early Autumn.”

…and now her favorite piece & why:
“My favorite piece from the outfit: the jewelry! The necklace was made by my friend Kate, and I love everything she makes! I’ve really enjoyed watching her work evolve over the time I’ve known her. The eye ring was made by Kaye from Datter Industries, who I had the pleasure of meeting last year at Renegade Craft Fair. All her work is so fun and odd – I feel an instant camaraderie with other ladies who wear her jewelry, like we’re all members of a cool club of weirdos.”

Also, Erin was kind enough to offer up a set of cocktail napkins for one reader to win! They are perfect for having a lady-friend over for a drink or a special dinner with your significant other!! Printed by hand with eco-friendly ink, these napkins are a serious treat :)

Introducing Jen & Laura of Ascot and Hart! Born from friendship and a love for fashion, their killer online retail shop is a joy to follow! These two are a seriously stylish duo, challenging me to UP my wardrobe-game constantly! I recently received these Payton suede booties, OMG! and when this tee is back in stock, it’s all mine!!

…a little bit about them:
“Jen lives in Dallas with her family and Laura lives in Long Beach with hers. We launched Ascot + Hart at the end of November 2013! It has been the most challenging but rewarding job! We love seeing people wear our tees or something they found on our site. We fly back and forth every 5-6 weeks to meet up with each other or go somewhere together to brainstorm! we just got back from Sayulita Mexico and we are totally inspired. Right now we are mapping out the year for ascot + hart. We have some collaborations in the works and new things we are designing for the shop. We both gravitate towards anything creative, whether its fashion related or not!”

…and now their favorite pieces & why:
“Our vintage Levis 501 cutoffs are our favorite. We live in them! We dress them up and dress them down and basically find a way to incorporate them into every outfit. They are definitely our go to piece when warm weather is around.”